Bingen Considers Six Project Ideas For 2004

Council comes up with possibilities for landfill funds

At its regular meeting on the evening of Dec. 2, the Bingen City Council came up with a list of six possibilities for funding from the county's landfill revenues.

Making the list were the following:

A picnic shelter for Daubenspeck Park;

Paving Depot Street;

Building an animal shelter;

Grants for the Community Youth Center;

Banners to hang along city streets; and

Advertising campaign to encourage businesses to relocate to Bingen.

Costs for the proposed projects have not yet been determined.

The council will prioritize its top two projects, although only one is expected to gain funding.

"I don't know what the council members are thinking, but my personal preference would be money to fix up Depot Street -- at least money to pave and stripe it," Bingen Mayor Brian Prigel said after the meeting. "A simple overlay would cost about $50,000 -- that's just a rough estimate based on other projects we've done."

Prigel added that he believed money for the park picnic shelter or for banners downtown would also be effective uses for the landfill funding.

Although Prigel said he supports the long-proposed animal shelter, he explained that he had doubts about the feasibility of the idea.

"My concern is we wouldn't have money on an ongoing basis to support it," Prigel said.

One idea that will apparently not be repeated is making a joint request with White Salmon, as was the case last year. Bingen and White Salmon combined to request $25,000 for an after-school program and another $25,000 for an animal shelter facility, with mixed results. The after-school request was granted, but the animal shelter facility was not, meaning the two cities effectively received just $12,500 each. Only three communities -- Snowden, Bickleton, and Husum/BZ Corner -- received less in EDA grant support for 2003.

"We won't go together with White Salmon. That didn't work out," noted council member Jeanette Fentie.

The 2004 projects will be considered at the council's next public meeting on Dec. 16, beginning at 7 p.m. at Bingen City Hall.